Kirei na Tanin
by Ko-chan to Ya-chan
Summary: My life used to be simple, but then everything changed.... The school outcast stepped into my life and turned everything upside down.. His name, you ask? Kai... warning: TYKA CHPT 3 UP!
1. Glimpse of a Stalker

K: Well, after reading so many kickass Tyka fics, I decided that I wanted to write my own. I dun know all that much about Beyblades though, which is why this is pretty much AU…. ;

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade, Cost co., 7-Eleven, Close-Up toothpaste, or Hostess. Lemme alone. UU; groans and takes an advil Atama… itai…. ;;

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**Dedications:**

Ran (do you even watch Beyblades? ; Oh well… Anyway, you actually remember Yami no Tenshi? You were a big fan and you were sad when she disappeared without a trace? teary eyed That's so sweet!! glomps you And let me let you in on a little secret… Watashi wa Yami no Tenshi/Tenshi no Namidagao/Ko-chan desu. - Gomen ne that I was so secretive- I just didn't want to take my chances again… UU; realizes she's still glomping you and blushes ; Heh heh… Gomen ne. lets you go)

PINKDEVIL (I wrote in some dares!! I fricking thought of a title!! ;o; tears of joy YOU ADDED TYKA!! grabs your hands I could kiss you! BUT… evil grin I think I'll leave that to Violet. XP)

Keely Lucas (Arigato for the suggestion! ; I kinda thought up my own title, though…)

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**Kirei na Tanin:**

** Beautiful Stranger**

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**Chapter I: Glimpse of a Stalker**

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(Takao/Tyson)

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Ah, sleep… the one true joy in life… No rules, no worries, and best of all, nothing around to bother me…

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Nothing, that is, but the fricking alarm clock.

I sighed, slamming my hand down on top of it, only to curse as the damn thing kept at it. I flopped over, opening my eyes and searching for the off switch. I found it after a minute or so, moving from the 'alarm' feature to the 'on' one, then collapsed back on my bed, a triumphant smile on my face.

Ha! Fear me, for I am the almighty Takao! You may try to interrupt my peaceful sleep, but I shall always prevail in the end! In short- SCREW YOU F-ING CLOCK!!

Yes, that sounded so incredibly lame, but I'm still half-asleep, I have an ego the size of Honshu, and the warm bed beckons me… Besides, I hate that clock- my old one was _SO_ much easier to manage… Then again, the only reason I have to deal with this new one is because I broke the other when I flung it at the wall, so I suppose it _IS_ kinda my fault… Or the wall's. Or the clock's, for being one of those stupid 'made in China' pieces of crap…

Ah well, best not to think of that now. Maybe later, after I'm fully awake… Now, it's time to sleep some more…

BEEP BEEP BEEP **THWACK**

…Or not. Damn fucking clock…

I sighed, deciding I should just take it like a man and get my lazy ass up. It's pointless to try to avoid the inevitable- believe me, all it gets you is a tardy slip and an hours worth of detention.

So, resigning myself to my fate, I pulled myself painfully away from my blissful solace and shuffled over to the bathroom to go through my usual morning ritual of searching for the ever-elusive tube of 'Close-Up'. After brushing my teeth and such, I returned to the bathroom, fully clothed, and proceeded to war with my stubborn hair in all its….erm…..stubborn-ness. It was a losing battle, like always, so I just decided to hide it under my favorite hat.

Turning the cap backward and placing it on my head, I glanced at the mirror and rolled my eyes as I noted the locks of azul hair spilling out over my face despite my attempts to cover it. It poked out through the back hole, shining innocently just to annoy me. How hair can even have a personality, I have no clue, but mine does, so nyeah. If you think I'm crazy because I think that, well, you don't know my hair… Believe me- I tried to spike it once, and let me tell you, it was NOT pretty…

Glaring at my hair one last time, I whirled around and picked up my backpack, filing out the door. I slid down the banister of the staircase to save time, then strolled past the dojo to the kitchen. Snagging a couple blueberry muffins from the box Gramps bought from Cost co. the other day, I strode to the front door and opened it.

"I'm leaving! See you later, Gramps!" I called over my shoulder, then shut the door on my way out.

Starting down the street, I took a bite out of one of the muffins and savored the sweet taste. Mmmm…. Muffin-y. Quickly finishing off that one, as well as the second, I found myself down to the last. I was just about to take a bite, but an orange blur whizzed past and snatched it from my hands. I gasped a bit in surprise, then turned and glared at the eeeeeevil muffin-thief.

"MAAAAAAAAAX!!! Give it _back_!!!" Yes, I know I'm acting childish and whiny, but so what? That muffin is MINE, and I'm _hungry_, dammit!

He just grinned at me, waving the muffin and issuing a silent challenge. I made a grab for it, but he quickly dodged to the side, leaving me to fall flat on my face. I leapt to my feet, prepared to do anything and everything to steal the pastry back, but my jaw dropped when I saw he'd already tainted it with his stupid thieving bastard germs. I scowled at him as he popped the last of it in his mouth, then turned his gaze to me.

"Aww, come on, Takao! It was just a muffin…"

Just a muffin? JUST a muffin?! That wasn't an ordinary muffin, you jerk! It was MINE!!

He must have noticed I was pouting, because the next second, he draped an arm over my shoulders in a lazy gesture of comfort. I blinked up at him, raising an eyebrow at the cheesy grin plastered to his face. How the hell is he able to stay so damn cheery all the time?! I swear- he has WAY too much sugar intake…

"Tell you what- after school, I'll pay you back by buying you some cupcakes or something at the 7-Eleven, k? Sound fair enough?"

Jeez- he had money in the first place, and yet he STILL stole my muffin? Why didn't he just buy his own damn breakfast?! Still… I moved away, turning and walking backward so I faced him.

"Hostess?"

He stared at me a moment, trying to figure out what I meant, then smiled and clapped me on the back. "Yeah, yeah… You can have the fricking Hostess cupcakes, but that's all!"

Aw, damn… I wanted to see if I could get some more out of him using the guilt-trip technique… Ah well, I guess I should be grateful for what I got anyway- cupcakes are MUCH better than muffins…

I couldn't help but smile back, imagining the sweet, cream-filled chocolate pastries. "Alright! It's a deal, then!"

He chuckled at my obvious excitement, shaking his head from side to side as we approached the school. "Takao, you're _so_ weird…"

"Why, thank you- I try…"

We both started cracking up, falling all over each other as we ascended the steps to the main hall. As we started heading toward our first classes, a pair of voices called out from behind us.

"Hey guys, what's so funny?"

"Yeah- I mean, come on, you're laughing like Hiromi just fainted after getting an 'F' on a math test or something!"

We stopped our 'rabid, sugar-high hyenas' impression, turning to face the source of the voices. I think I could literally feel the waves of excitement radiating off Max as he released his hold on me and practically tackled Rei. Kyojyu and I sweatdropped at this, but smiled as the Chinese boy pat the hyperactive blonde's head as he was being glomped.

"H- hey there, Max… Miss me, did you?"

The 'orange blur' looked up from where he hugged Rei's slim waist, grinning from ear to ear. "OF COURSE! You have _no idea_ how boring it is mining dad's shop can be… I was missing you like _crazy_!!"

Rei let off a light laugh, messing up the other's hair- not that it wasn't unruly enough to begin with… "I'll try to swing by next time, k? Can't have my little Maxie dying of boredom on me, now can I?"

The blonde pouted, releasing the boy's waist and poking his stomach, making him squirm. "Aww, Rei!! I told you not to call me that! It's too… too damn _girly_!"

I chuckled, deciding to intervene. This was great and all, but if we didn't go soon, we'd all end up late. And I, for one, did NOT want detention again.

"Aw, come on, Max! You know he's only kidding… Now let's go, before little miss bitch gives us all tardies…"

They all readily agreed, familiar with Hiromi's 'fondness' of our little gang, and I led the way down the hall. I felt as if someone were watching me and slowed my pace so I fell back as the others continued on. Then, I glanced over my shoulder to see who it was, but all I saw was the end of a white scarf as the person turned the corner…

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K: Oooh kowai desu! XP Bet'cha all know who it was though, huh?

Y: Well, the one clue you left _was_ kind of a dead giveaway…

K: ; Yeah… But Takao doesn't know that…. -

Y: Yeah, but… Well, Takao is _Takao_, after all…

K: ; True… But you have to admit, he _is_ pretty observant sometimes, which is why he acts the way he does in this fic. blinks Speaking of which, how do you guys like it so far? I think it's okei, considering it's my first Bey-fic, but the characters are really OOC again, just like in all my other stories… ; sigh Oh well…

Y: Anyway, please R&R so we know if it's any good or not, k?

K/Y: Ja ne!


	2. Crimson Eyes

K: Well, I'm in the mood to write some more of this, so here I am! ;

Y: You just want to write in Takao's POV again, and you know it, aibou….

K: Well…. Yeah, that's part of it. The other reasons are since I promised I'd try to update this soon, and cuz' I need to keep my mind off that OSHIRI of a flamer from yesterday…

Y: Haven't we been through this? He doesn't even _write_ anything, so how can he know what he's talking about, ne? Ne? He just wants attention…. He's trying to bait you, aibou!

K: Hai, hai… Demo, he still pisses me off for saying that… Hn. I _refuse_ to answer him via his e-mail. He's stupid enough to go around saying things like that without reason, not write anything himself, and leave his e-mail right out in the open for all who he's flamed to use. That may work on others, but I for one am going to say my two cents, then drop it. nod nod

Y: You _do_ realize that by saying that you make it sound like a big conspiracy? And that makes you seem paranoid?

K: Urusai, Ya-chan.

Y: Hai, hai….

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**Disclaimer:** I own what I own. Bakuten Shoot Beyblade (reg, 2002, or otherwise) is, sadly, not a part of that. Oh well. Tough shit.

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**Dedication:**

Asa-chan (You're quite welcome! I always love a nice Kai/Takao myself. I'm just glad that it made someone happy.)

Ran-chan (blushes You're just saying that… I'm not the best…. smile There are plenty out there who are better. Arigato for your e-mail. That was very kind of you. Hopefully, this chapter will live up to your opinions of me and my other work. ;)

Tsunami Wave (More? How about right now? )

Kyoto Project/Genj' (Yeah, I'm gonna continue this. Not sure if I'll ever finish, you know how I am about that! ; but I sure as hell will try! ;)

Darkspider (sigh I know what you mean! Especially since the 'FIND' option refuses to work with me… glares at button of 3V1LN355 Yep- I know L337 too! Ever heard of the comic MegaTokyo? It's really cute, and Largo knows L337 as well! He's da 'L337 M57H' XP)

Seth (squeals and huggles Tyka plushie Arigato!! This'll go GREAT with my Sora and Yami plushies! I seriously made some puts it on the shelf next to the others glomps you DOMODOMODOMO!!! )

PinkDevil (Aa When are you going to type up that other idea for your new one? You said that you had a good idea even though it had to do with Takao again and I'm anxious to see what it is!! )

Jewel (Well, you'll just have to read and find out, ne? )

Kuro ( Thanks for the advice! I'll try to keep that in mind for all my other fics, too! frowns And stop beating yourself up about that… I'm sure you're a great writer too! And yes, that counts for something- you're trying hard to break that habit and improve yourself, and doing that _always_ counts for something! Tell you what- as soon as I'm done here, I'll go check out _your_ fic, and see if I can help you with anything, k? I might not be much help, mind you, but I'll try my best!)

NT aka Aku-chan (Yes, the piano _is_ evil… I remember when I took lessons a LONG time ago… Then my teacher quit. ; Haven't taken piano since!)

Japime Gurl (Datz okei. Ya can't win 'em all, right? ; Ah well… Thanks for reviewing this one and most of my other fics, though. It means a lot to me. smile smile)

And, to thank everyone, FREE DIGITAL ROOTBEER AND SODA!! tosses a can to everyone And here are some Digi-bentos, too! Rice (fried or plain), Beef or Chicken Teriyaki, Sunomono (cucumber salad), and for dessert- your choice of mochi ice cream, plain mochi, or panda choco cookies! It's an all-out online picnic! Enjoy!

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**Kirei na Tanin:**

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**Chapter II: Crimson Eyes**

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Crap. Double crap.In fact, make that _triple_ crap, just for the hell of it…

I sighed, leaning back against the wall near the classroom door. I'd been late by 5 seconds, _5_, and the stupid nazi of a teacher had slammed the door in my face and locked me out for the whole hour-long period. I swear- she must have some kind of grudge against me or something… Really, is drawing in class so I can stay awake _that big a crime_?

Sighing again, I tried to find a more comfortable position to sit in- not easy when your butt's asleep, one of your legs is numb, and you're stuck with nothing to cushion you from the cold, _filthy_ linoleum floor. Not to mention how hard it is too…and is that _black mold_ growing under the water fountain? I swear- I'm surprised no one's died yet from the sheer stupidity of the staff here…

Oh well, I can bitch about it to everyone else later. For now, all I can do is wait for class to end… Good thing we drag around our backpacks- now I can draw instead of being bored out of my mind… Unzipping the second-biggest pocket, I pulled out a worn sketchbook, leafing through the pages until I found a clean spot. I took out my 'drawing pencil' that has literally _no eraser_, since I used it all, and stared down at the white 3x5 centimeter square that was my canvas.

What to draw…? What to draw….? Hmm…. Glancing over the other random doodles that covered the rest of the page, I realized they were all dragons- my favorite animal, regardless of whether they exist or not. Smiling to myself, I set to work, drawing out a rough 'bubble sketch' as a frame for the new picture. Ever-slowly, the face of a person started to appear… Then the body…. Then the hair….

I glanced at my clothes every once and a while to check how the cloth hung on my body and where all the wrinkles and folds were, trying to capture the same effect in my drawing. Eventually, I blew the lead dust and eraser chips away- coming face-to-face with a crude self-portrait. Sure, it could've been a bit better, if I'd had a mirror or some other way to watch my own reflection, but for what it is, I think it's safe to say that it's one of my better drawings. The position is kind of awkward, but oh well…

Now I needed to title the pic… How about 'Dragon and I'? Nah… too boring…. 'Dragon Master'? Well, now _that's_ modest, isn't it…? Right… Not that either, then… Hmm…. This is hard….

Ah! That's it! I smiled, adding one last detail to the doodle, then leaned back, admiring my work.

"I dub thee 'Masamune'!"

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Lunch had to be, by _far_, my favorite part of the school day. No more pretending to listen to teachers drone on and on about useless crap I could care less about- at least until 5th period, anyway…. And better yet, I could _finally_ get some _food_. Wonderful, delectable _food_….

I made a bee-line toward the nearest snack-cart; the one sitting under a cherry tree on the edge of the quad. Upon my arrival, I immediately spotted my heart's desire- instant udon. Pointing to it and placing my order, the clerk nodded and placed it atop the counter where I eyed it hungrily.

"250 en, please."

Digging through my pockets, I brought out my money, carefully unfolding the en notes and making sure not to drop any coins. 100…… 200….. 230…. 240….. Wait- My eyes widened in horror and I gasped a bit. Where's the other 10 en?! I _knew_ I put it here _somewhere_!!

I stuck my hand back into my pockets, fishing around for the missing coin. More students were coming, and the sales-lady began to grow impatient.

"Is there something wrong?"

Crap!! Where'd it go?! I paused for a second, giving the woman a pained smile, then went back to frantically searching for the missing money. Where, where, where, where, WHERE!?

"Hey- hurry up!" someone shouted from behind me, and I started to sweat.

Shit! They're getting restless! I guess I'll just have to go without udon, then… maybe I can get instant ramen? I think it tastes gross, but it's cheaper…

Just as I open my mouth to change my order, I heard a THUD to my left and blinked as a person dusted himself off, having just jumped out of the tree. He stood up fully, walking up to me with a blank, emotionless look, then turned to the counter where the rest of my money was, slamming down a coin. Glancing at me one last time with those haunting red eyes, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

What the-?

"Oi- here's your udon. NEXT, PLEASE!"

Eh? I turned around, only to have my udon shoved roughly into my face, and pushed out of the way by the impatient guy who had been standing behind me. A bit dazed, I shook my head and muttered under my breath. Looking around for my savior, I sighed as I came up empty-handed. Who was that guy, anyway? Why did he do that for me?

Admitting defeat, I shuffled over to the hot-water dispenser, fixing up my lunch. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks and a few napkins, I headed toward the place where the gang and I usually eat lunch. Upon my arrival, Rei turned to me with a puzzled frown.

"Hey- what took you so long, Takao?"

"Yeah," Kyojyu piped up, "You're usually the first to the food cart- did you get stuck in line?"

Blushing faintly, I manage to mutter a small, "No…"

Max had a strange look on his face. Scratch that- he had THE look on his face. The one that always means trouble and embarrassment is coming…

"So then, was it because you were meeting someone? A _girl_ perhaps?"

"WHAT?!" I shouted, thoroughly mortified. "Of _course_ I didn't!! What the hell are you thinking?!"

He just smiled wider. "Oh, not a girl? What about a _guy_ then?"

I really, _really_ hate him right now. He's lucky Rei's here to protect him, or else I'd have to kick his ass. Unfortunately, Rei's here, and Rei can easily kick _my_ ass, so I was left to seethe in silence.

"_NO_, Max. I was not meeting _anyone_. I just had a little…. Money trouble, that's all…"

Great- now they're all sweatdropping. What kind of friends are they?! All they do is tease me!! I feel a pout coming on….

Finally, Kyojyu spoke. "You didn't have enough again? Who bailed you out then, Takao? If all of us were here the whole time…."

Well, might as well tell them. There's nothing to hide, right?

"I'm not sure… The guy just came out of nowhere- well, he jumped out of the tree, actually…. Anyway, he came up to me, put the money on the table, and left before I could even thank him! Hell, I don't think I've ever met him in my LIFE!"

Well, at least now they're taking me seriously…. They're all deep in thought, wondering why someone would do that for lil' ol' me. I, for one, am stumped, so I think I'll just let _them_ ponder it for a while. I'm gonna start on my udon…

Just as I raised the noodle-laden chopsticks to my mouth, Kenny looked up. "Do you remember what he looked like? Maybe I can find out who he is for you so you can thank him…"

Sighing, I set the bamboo sticks back in the Styrofoam cup. Bye bye, udon… I know one of Kyojyu's brainstorming sessions would take forever, so I gave up on eating anything.

"Well, I was too confused to get a really good look at him, but I know he had crimson eyes….. his hair was short in the back, I think, but his bangs were long… He had two-tone blue hair… The bangs were lighter than the rest. He was wearing dark pants and a dark shirt and vest…. Sleeveless, too… And he had something around his neck….. something wh-" I stopped.

Something white around his neck. A white scarf. Just like whoever had been following me earlier…. Was he _stalking_ me?! What the hell?!

"Takao?"

"I….. I have to find out who he is. I just _have_ to…."

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K: Well, there's chapter 2! Ah… I feel much better now….

Y: Just as long as you don't start ranting and raving again…. --;

K: sticks her tongue out at her, then turns back to all the happy, picnicking readers You guys know what'll make me even happier, though? Sly grin Yep- _REVIEWS_. You know where the button is….


	3. Musings

K: Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Don't hurt me! Gomen ne!! I didn't mean to, really! I just haven't had much inspiration... But now it's dark and stormy outside and FLCL's on, so it's all good. XP I'm making this off the top of my head again, as usual, so be prepared for anything!

Y: FLCL + Sugar + Hikari Insanity and Chaos. Pray for me, people. --;

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Eva, FLCL, Black Cat, Ghost in the Shell, FAKE, D.N. Angel, or BBNM (Bannou Bunka Neko Musume/Cat Girl Nuku Nuku). If I did, most of the jokes in the dub of BSB would be a helluva lot funnier. At least, I think they'd be... Oh! And Hiromi would keep her grubby, bitchy mitts off Takao. He's Kai's, dammit.

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**Dedications:**

- Skittles the Sugar Fairy ( Glad you like it! Taka-chan already has a hunch Kai's stalking him, as you'll see later in this chapter. )

- Ran-chan (Yay! You went back to your old 'last name'! I'm not so sure about the suspense part, but I'm glad you like it!)

- Darkspider (huggles Max plushie Arigato!! And yeah- Tyka _is_ a majorly kawaii pairing. )

- Rumi-chan (You're welcome! Thanks for wishing me luck! )

- PinkDevil (laughs That's what Takao said when I first told him about this story. Kai just grinned and did his classic 'creepy laugh'... ;

- Kawaii-kirei ( So glad you like it so far! Not much happening this chapter, but I really like how I portrayed Taka-chan's thoughts... XP)

- Escuro de la Lus (I'm not sure about the whole 'one of the best' thing, but I'm glad you like it so much. )

- Kurushii/Kuro (Hey there, Kuro-senpai! I read your new beyfics, and I think they're great! I hope you continue them soon! I'll try to think of something for UWIB soon, k? I've been a bit busy lately, but I'll try to work on it. ;)

- PhEoNIix-fiREbiRd (sighs I _know_!! There's never enough Tyka, in my opinion. )

- Mieco (So long as you found it, everything's fine. smile smile)

- dna19 (You're in for a treat this chapter, then. knowing grin Glad you like it!)

- Japime Gurl (You don't know the half of it. Takao's POV this chapter is hilarious! in my opinion, anyway And stop dissing yourself- your Naruto fics are outstanding! )

- Izzeh (blushes and sweatdrops Thanks for the compliment, although I'm sure a lot of people out there are way better... chuckles Don't get me wrong, though- you still scare me a little. XP)

- Aysh ( Glad you think so. Here's some more!)

- Beyblade Fanatic (Glad you enjoyed it! Here's that update you wanted!)

- Shadow Weaver and Ikira (Oo; Water and tin foil? I don't think I wanna know... ; And yeah, Kai _is_ having fun. He keeps cackling insanely whenever I work on this... hears something and throws her tea cup off-screen Shut up, Hiwatari!! I'm working, here!! sighs as someone complains No, no- I don't mean _you_, Satoshi-kun. I mean the laughing psycho over there... Yeah, yeah- I know I should be more specific, but it's not like I can say 'crazy bluenette Hiwatari', considering you both have the same last name and hair color... --; sighs again as Satoshi starts in on a lecture Niwa, make your boyfriend shut up!! --;)

- Touma (Not sure how many chapters it'll be... It'll take them a long while, I'm sure. ; Guess you'll get your way after all, ne?)

- Dark Faerie (Glad you like it! Here's more!)

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**Kirei na Tanin**

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**Chapter III: Musings**

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It was a dark and stormy night... Thunder rumbled overhead, and the ground quaked every time lightning lit up the sky... Oh no, wait- that's just the sun shining off Grandpa's head as he rolls out the garbage cans. Never mind. My bad...

The 'dark' part? It's too hot out so I holed myself up in my room with the lights off and the fan going. Nothing big- just one of those cheap plastic sumo ones that only stand about 5 inches tall and it looks like the guy's holding the fan in place instead of running to use the crapper like he wants to. At least, that's what it looks like to me. His face is all scrunched up and stuff... Maybe he has indigestion? Better yet- maybe some kid snuck exlax in his morning tea...

Heh- sounds like something _I_ would do. Not that I have anything against sumo wrestlers or nothin'. I just don't find 2 fat, sweaty guys trying to shove each other out of a ring that entertaining. I'll stick to my manga, thanks. Sure, it costs a helluva lot more and I'm broke most of the time after buying the latest issues, but I manage. So do the other 1.8 billion otaku.

Which reminds me- I wonder if anyone would bother to read my doujin when it's done... I mean _someone_ has to like Nuku Nuku, right? Come on, people! Ryunosuke's cute!! There's BOUND to be a Ryu-chan fangirl _somewhere_, right?! Or fanboy... Wait- would fans of Bannou Bunka Neko Musume even _bother_ looking for doujinshi? It's only an anime, I think... Or is there a manga of it too? Aw, hell... I dunno...

Maybe I should write about something else? My life could pass for a manga series, but that'd be too embarrassing... Well, I could always change the names. Hmm... Nah- who'd read something like that? And even more importantly, what the hell would I call it? Bakuten Shoot?!

Huh. Where did _that _come from? Come to think of it, how the hell did I get onto the topic of manga titles anyway? A little voice in the back of my mind mutters something about how everything relates to anime, therefore all trains of thought eventually lead up to it, but I ignore it. I have to concentrate, dammit! Now- what was I thinking about before that crack about Gramps?

Oh yeah! That guy... I wonder who he is? I haven't seen him at all since that fateful Tuesday last week, and the whole aspect of him stalking me is driving me up the wall. He could have been watching me from God-knows-where and I would never know... Needless to say, I don't use the school bathrooms anymore.

Then again, maybe he's not stalking me at all. Maybe someone else was wearing a white scarf that day and just happened to be on their way to class like we were. Maybe he just happened to be sitting in that tree, saw I was on the verge of a panic attack, then decided to literally drop in and lend a hand to a guy in need. Yeah, that sounds plausible... But then why would I feel as if someone's been watching me all week?

I groaned, flopping down on my bed, my right forearm covering my eyes. Dammit- this makes no sense! Why the hell would he be following me anyway?! Why would _anyone_ follow me? It's not like I have anything anyone would want...

Unless he's some psychotic gay pervert. Shit- now I'm _really_ freaked out.

"Fuck. Why'd I have to come to _that _conclusion? Now I'll _never_ use another public bathroom again..."

"What are you mumbling about, Takao? Public bathrooms? I don't think I want to know..."

Huh? I rolled over onto my stomach and blinked as Kyojyu and Hiromi removed their shoes and stepped in through the open door. What brought them here, I wonder?

"You know, if you want it to cool down in here, you should close this." Miss know-it-all chided, sliding the frame shut.

"Doesn't matter. It's just rice paper- it doesn't do much difference." I retort, sitting up to make room for them. "Besides, my fan is a piece of crap- it can barely cool down an area a foot away, much less the whole room."

She just scowled at me. "Then why don't you just get air conditioning like_ other people_?"

"It's a dojo- if we got one installed, it would just be a waste since the cold air would escape through the screen doors, genius." Hn. And she calls _me_ thick-headed...

"Ooh! Whatever- I didn't come all the way here just to argue with you..." Really? Sometimes I wonder...

"Well then, why _did_ you guys come? Did you get a lead on Mr. tall, dark, and creepy?" I asked, turning to Kyojyu.

"Mr. who?" Hiromi questioned, but I ignored her.

"Kind of... I managed to find a yearbook from last year and figured you could point out his picture for me. There's a good chance it'll be there, unless he transferred in this year..." he replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out a slightly-worn hardcover book.

"That's great!" I exclaimed, snatching it from his hands and flipping to the first page of student portraits. "I'm pretty sure I remember what he looks like, so I'll know him when I see him!"

The great thing about our school's yearbook is that the records are listed in alphabetical order according to last names. Sometimes it's just easier to sort things that way. It also means you're bound to find things faster since it goes in a particular order. Of course, none of this really helps, considering we don't know Stalker-man's name. Well, there went that idea. Guess it all comes down to searching one page at a time, then. Joy.

I scanned through the pages rather quickly, comparing each photo to the memory in my head. Nope. Nope. Nope. WAY off... What the _hell_ is wrong with that guy's face?! He needs to fix that... Anyway, back on track... No. Nope... Not him...

Not in the A's, B's, C's, D's, E's, or the short lists of F's and G's. Dammit, where IS he?! This is starting to piss me off... I growled in annoyance, flipping yet another page. What number am I on now? 43? I didn't even know we _had_ that many people at our school...

Let's see... Fat guy... Short guy... That one dude who likes Eva and wears that NERV shirt every day... That freaky chick who cosplays like Naota from that one episode where he had white cat ears... I'm surprised they actually let her wear those for the picture... Heh- she probably threatened to smash them over the head with a guitar if they refused. At least I'm not the only otaku here...

I smiled a little, preparing to turn the page, then stopped dead in my tracks as I spotted the face next to my thumb. A chill went down my spine, and I knew for a fact it wasn't because of my sumo fan. Even in black and white, those eyes still managed to freak me out.

When I didn't move after a while, Hiromi and Kyojyu leaned over to see what happened. "What is it? Did you find him?"

Instead of answering, I gulped and lowered my gaze to the printed kanji below the boy's photo, subconsciously reading it aloud. "Hiwatari Kai."

They both blinked and scrolled down the different names until they found the one that matched it. There was a tense silence, then Hiromi spoke up.

"Tall, dark, and creepy? What are you talking about? He's a major hottie!" Hmm... She does have a point there, if you dismiss the fact he could be a crazy perverted stalker... "Why are you so interested in him anyway? And why are you so pale?"

"You want the honest truth?" I asked, then took her leer as a 'yes' and continued, "I'm pretty sure he's stalking me, and I have no idea why."

As expected, she snorted. "Hn. Yeah right. Who in their _right mind_ would stalk _you_?! Unless he's making a documentary on Neanderthals..."

I scowled. "Shut up! Why did you even come here, anyway? Bored out of your mind so you decided to waltz on over and make my life a living hell?"

She glared back, a faint blush splattered across her cheeks. "FYI, I came because as the head of the Student Council, it's _my duty_ to remind you that next week it's _your turn_ to clean the classroom. And don't think you can weasel out of it again, Kinomiya!"

I gave her a dull look. "Yeah, yeah... Is that all? You could've just _called _like a normal person, Hiromi. Now if you'll excuse me, Kyojyu and I have a lot of sleuthing to do, so go ahead and show yourself out, alright? See ya..."

She looked just about ready to explode, but turned and left, slamming the screen door shut behind her. We watched as her shadow moved across the thin paper, showing she was slipping her shoes back on.

"Why that no-good, wiseass, lazy, arrogant, annoying-"

"I can _hear_ you, Hiromi, dear..." I called sweetly, grinning from ear to ear.

She stopped short of her ranting, going rigid, then huffed. The shadow on the door turned around and flipped me off, then disappeared as its owner left. Good riddance.

"Why are you always so mean to her, Takao? She's only looking out for you..."

"Looking out for me? Not likely... She makes sure I'm assigned multiple detentions for the littlest things- how the hell is _that_ looking out for me?! She's a major pain in the ass and that's that."

He sighed, adjusting his glasses. "The only reason she does all that is because she likes you, you idiot."

I gagged. "Bleah! Me and HER?! NO WAY! NEVER!! Don't even joke about something like that!" Geh. Bad mental images. VERY bad mental images. I'm gay for a reason, dammit!

"Who's joking?" he muttered blandly, but shook his head and dropped it. "Anyway, now that we know his name, we _should_ be able to dig up something on him somewhere. I'll go home and do some research, so you just sit tight and try to think of reasons why he would be following you, okay? Oh! And stay away from dark alleys, try not to go out at night if you can help it, and stay in areas where lots of people are around. That way, you're less likely to have a close encounter with this Hiwatari character that you may live to regret."

"Dude- I'll admit I'm less than genius material, but I'm not dumb enough to do anything like that. You forget I read Black Cat, Ghost in the Shell, and all that other assassin manga..."

He waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. "Yeah, yeah... But, that's _manga_, Takao. Fiction. It won't help much in real life if this guy sneaks up on you and mugs you or something."

"That's what kendo and jujitsu are for. Anyway, I gotcha- I'll watch my back." I smiled, getting up and sliding the door open for him. "Good luck. I'll see you at school tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright." he answered, putting on his shoes and stepping out onto the wrap-around porch. "See ya, Takao."

"Bye. And hey- you watch out for yourself, too. He's probably seen the lot of us together at one time or another, so you, Rei, and Max may be targets as well..."

He nodded solemnly. "I will. I'll tell the others too, okay? Bye..."

With that, he jogged off toward the front gate, vanishing behind the cement wall that surrounded our yard. I went back inside, leaving the door as it was and tugging a random volume of manga off my shelf. Glancing at the cover, I noted it was volume 2 of FAKE- the one where Ryo and Dee go on vacation to England and the hotel owner tries to murder poor Ryo just because he's Japanese like the men who killed his daughter 5 years before then. Yay. Another theory to add to the list of 'reasons why this dude may be stalking me'. He could be a pervert, homicidal, or both. Or it could be something else entirely.

I sighed, placing the graphic novel back on the shelf and lying back on my bed again, staring at the collage of posters on the ceiling. Huh. You'd think I'd be used to a bunch of eyes on me all the time- what's one more pair?

I snorted, closing my eyes and rolling over on my side, facing the wall my bed is pushed up against. You know who that Hiwatari guy reminds me of? Satoshi from D.N. Angel... They even have the same last name. What are the odds of that? I guess that makes me Niwa Daisuke, then... And the little manga-obsessed voice in the back of my mind is Dark Mousey. Then who's Krad? Ah, well- it's stupid anyway...

Still, with all of this happening, I can't help but wonder if writing a manga based on my life isn't such a bad idea after all... I still need a new title, though... I guess I'll think of one later, after I take a little snooze...

YAWN. G'night, anime people...

* * *

K: This is fun. Episode 3 or so of BSB 2002 proves Takao owns manga, therefore, I'm allowed to make him an anime otaku without having him be OOC like Draco is in "Double Take". ; (I made Draco an anime otaku. I made him sing a Gravitation song, too. XP It's fun having he and Harry insult each other in Japanese...) Plus, it makes it a helluva lot easier to write as Takao, considering what he is thinking (for the most part) is what I would be thinking. Except for saying goodnight to the anime posters. I grew out of that. ;

Well, hope you liked that chapter! Sorry if it's too short- I tried to make it long, I really did! I'm just too tired and inspiration-deprived to go on right now. Besides, my Nuku Nuku soundtrack is putting me to sleep. --;

Y: yawns You're not the only one. Everyone else fell asleep a LONG time ago... points to all 42+ bishi muses, curled up with their respective koi They'd all make cute pictures, I'm sure, but I'm too tired to go find the camera, so blah. I'm going to bed. Oyasumi nasai, aibou.

K: Oyasumi.


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